Le Ragnaie

The fruit for this wine comes from four unique sites at different altitudes, all in different parts of the appellation. Le Ragnaies Brunello 2017 is a tour de force of Sangiovese that runs the entire continuum of Sangiovese. It begins auspiciously with wild cherry, later unfolding pressed blue flowers, spices and potting soil. In addition to these typical tones, there are also cherry, cassis and other classic Sangiovese aromas, followed by notes of dried mint and Mediterranean herbs in the impressive final. The lasting impression of this very special Brunello is its brilliance and purity, which inspire us every year, especially in the wines of Le Ragnaie. SUPERIORE.DE

"Mid ruby with orange tinges. Perfumed, cool nose that is not at all reminiscent of the torrid vintage 2017 was. Succulent and elegant on the palate but with obvious concentration and a firm layer of tannins, which make their mark, but the perfumed fruit keeps up on the finish." Jancis Robinson

"Bright ruby red. In the nose of cherries, raspberries, great integrated wood, fine spice. On the palate with pithy, red berry fruit, spans a fine arc, slightly salty final." Falstaff

"Le Ragnaie's 2017 Brunello di Montalcino is a delicate and graceful expression that carefully unfolds to reveal wild berries, dried lilac and beautiful earthy tones. It belongs to that enviable school of Brunello that prioritises tradition, elegance and purity. These are the fundamental qualities of a great Sangiovese, but they are not achieved by all. The identity of Le Ragnaie is closely linked to these efforts. Notes of dried mint or Mediterranean herbs emerge on the finish." Wine Advocate

This Brunello is the most accessible wine in the Le Ragnaie portfolio, which is high class every year. Elegant and perfumed with floral aromas reminiscent of blue flowers and wild roses. Alongside these delicate tones are cherry, cassis and other classic Sangiovese aromas. This wine is a blend of fruit from different vineyard sites with high and low altitudes and is a sure bet every year. SUPERIORE.DE

"Bright and juicy, this red features cherry, strawberry, floral and mineral flavors. This is firmly structured and crisp in texture as it plays out on the tangy finish. Just needs time to integrate." Wine Spectator

"Savory herbs, crushed rocks, nuances of cedar and dried strawberry can all be found as the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino opens in the glass. This flows effortlessly across the palate, round and supple, guided by juicy acidity, with depths of tart wild berry fruits contrasted by a pretty inner sweetness. The 2018 is built on purity, finishing incredibly fresh and only lightly tannic, as a hint of mint-laced sour cherry slowly fades. Already showing quite well, this crowd-pleaser of a Brunello will only need a short stay in the cellar to come fully into focus. Of note, all of the fruit from Riccardo Campinoti’s Fornace vineyard, in Castelnuovo dell’Abate, was used to bolster the 2018 Brunello." Vinous

"The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino is delicate and fine with aromas of wild cherry, licorice, grilled herb and pressed violet. It brings on more power to the palate with medium-rich concentration, pretty freshness and silky tannins. The fine tannic management stands out here, as does its contained alcohol. In a vintage that sees very high alcohol levels across the board, Le Ragnaie should be congratulated on maintaining a more moderate 13.5% alcohol content." Wine Advocate

Since the 2015 vintage, Le Ragnaie has been vinifying another single-vineyard Brunello, which comes from the famous Montosoli vineyard and therefore also bears the black label. With the 2017 vintage, only just under 3,000 bottles come onto the market, and we are pleased that we were able to obtain at least some of them. On the nose, graceful tones of wild cherry, pressed blueberries and small blue violets growing deep in the forest. The aromas are more vertical, with cola and medicinal tones rising straight from the top. Compact and lean on the palate, with a long, medium-light persistence that leaves a precise and sharply drawn trail of fruit flavours. This expression and class can only be found in the wines of the Montosoli vineyard and this finessed wine is a real delight! SUPERIORE.DE

"Multi-layered, smoky bouquet with wild forest berries, cherry, earthy mineral notes, wet stone and damp tobacco. This has something of undergrowth and truffle, which continues on the finely honed palate, along with orange zest and ripe fruit." Weinwisser

"Bright garnet red with a fine shimmer. Exciting nose, opens with notes of liquorice, then dried plums and pickled cherry, some tobacco, everything already quite ripe, but actually just at the right point. On the palate, dense tannins determine the course, lots of plum, emphatically grippy in the final." Falstaff

"The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Casanovina Montosoli lifts up with a smoky display of cherries and strawberries, wild herbs and wet stone. It evolves further with time in the glass, adding mineral-laden soil and hints of fresh tobacco. This is a pure, round expression of Montosoli, with a pleasant inner sweetness and staining red fruits. It tapers off potent and long, with a web of fine tannins that coat the cheeks, as hints of balsamic spice slowly taper off. Give this feisty expression of the 2017 vintage a few years of cellaring to come fully into focus." Vinous

"Located directly beside the cellar of the historic Baricci estate, Le Ragnaie’s Montosoli holding is a 1ha, east-facing plot at 300 metres above sea level. It impresses immediately, exhibiting enormous depth on the nose. Plums, violets and earthy truffle notes are backlit by bright cherry. The palate brings in nuances of orange and tar, while linear tannins are tightly wound and sandy in texture. The fruit is plentiful without being heavy, overripe or obvious. Finishing long and savoury this is one of the wines of the vintage." Decanter

With the 2017 vintage, the third single-vineyard Brunello Le Ragnaies celebrates its debut. Only 3,000 bottles of this wine from Montalcino's highest vineyard will be bottled. The choice of the vineyard, situated over 600 metres above sea level, is also due to climate change, where winemakers are increasingly looking for cooler sites for Sangiovese - and the result is again a Brunello of the absolute special class: on the nose, leather, tobacco, small red berries and a surprisingly fresh, clearly mineral note. The wine, although it appears very graceful and bright, is punchy and long. Its grippy tannins and finely knit acidity underline our impression that this wine still has a long life ahead of it. SUPERIORE.DE

"Lustrous and just mid ruby with orange tinges. Lots of concentration and yet not rich. Deep cherry aroma. Surprisingly high in acidity but melts into the fruit on the finish, which is layered with powdery tannins. Nervy and just escapes being tart, with long perfumed fruit." Jancis Robinson

"The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Passo del Lume Spento opens with a delicate bouquet of sweet herbs and tobacco, incredibly airy yet spicy and a little exotic, while a hint of mineral grit fills the glass. It is silky smooth and tasty, with a pure presentation of wild berries, enlivened by bright acidity and a salty note. The finish is lean and mineral, with grippy tannins balanced by a hint of sour citrus. The Passo del Lume Spento comes from a vineyard that, according to Riccardo Campinoti, is currently the highest Brunello in the region at 621 metres. It found a very nice balance in the 2017 vintage." Vinous

"From a single vineyard located on a sandstone plateau at an altitude of 621 metres, this first release of Passo del Lume Spento is of particular importance, not only for Le Ragnaie but for the entire region, especially because it coincides with the red-hot 2017 vintage. A harbinger of things to come? It shows fresh aromas of lavender and fennel with warm, fragrant earth and a subtle smoky note. Medium-bodied, crisp and sinewy, it tastes of red berries pressed from rocky soil, accompanied by tangy acidity." Decanter

"Le Ragnaie's Brunello di Montalcino Passo del Lume Spento 2017 draws its fruit from one of the appellation's highest sites, the "Pass of the extinguished lantern", as the wine is called in English. It is part of a general trend that Montalcino winemakers seem to be looking for cooler, higher altitude sites for Sangiovese. This wine proves beyond doubt that altitude is the key to elegance in warm years. This Brunello is particularly bright, powerful and energetic." Wine Advocate

The first Brunello of the estate's three Black Label vineyard editions comes from 60-year-old vines that grow at an altitude of over 600 metres. Many years ago, Le Ragnaie decided against bottling a Riserva with this vineyard-by-vineyard vinification; instead, it consistently relies on the terroir diversity of its vineyards. Of all three vineyards, Vecchie Vigne is the most classic wine with a pronounced concentration and personality. Wild berries, blue flowers, balsamic herbs and crushed stone emerge intensely on the nose. On the palate, it is firm, powerful and crisp, revealing dark fruits, roses, spices and baked clay after initial reticence. The wine develops rapidly in the glass and reveals its depth and length only after quite some time, and we are very curious to see how it will develop over the next few years. SUPERIORE.DE

"Lustrous ruby with a bricky rim. Brooding, deep and with minerally hints, but still a little closed on the nose. Fantastic richness on the palate but without being heavy; richly tannic but fits the whole. Closes up, so there is much more to come. Signature elegance throughout." Jancis Robinson

"Bright, intense ruby-violet. Opens on the nose with notes of ripe plums, wild raspberries and some spicy chestnut honey. Lots of fresh fruit on the palate, fresh, perceptible acidity, gives good tension, full pressure on the final." Falstaff

"The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Ragnaie VV is vibrant with wild herbs, gravel and dusty strawberries in an airy and sweetly spiced entry. Ripe cherries and berries unfold on the palate, while floral notes arch over the medium-bodied framework. A fantastic blend of saline minerals and acidity saturates over time, giving way to a layer of primary concentration and fine tannins that linger long. The 2017 has excellent balance and freshness for the vintage, but will require patience to be fully appreciated." Vinous

"The oldest vines of Le Ragnaie were planted in 1968 and are situated at an altitude of 600 metres with a warm south-west exposure. In 2017, it seems to have more of everything. You can almost smell the warmth, while wild blackcurrants and tar waft from the glass. This wine is more powerful than the estate's other single vineyard bottlings, although the tannins still show their characteristic austerity. Just a hint of dryness shines through, but there is enough fruit concentration to carry this wine as it takes on a more graceful pace." Decanter

"The Le Ragnaie 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Ragnaie V. V., with fruit from 50-year-old vines, is one of three special black label selections produced by this winery. Instead of a Riserva programme, Le Ragnaie focuses on territorial identity and single vineyard expressions. This pretty wine shows the distinct concentration that comes from the old vines, but which is also the result of the hot growing season. Dark fruits, roses, spices and baked clay can be found in this medium to full-bodied Brunello. Production is 3,800 bottles." Wine Advocate

Only 3,000 bottles are bottled of this drop, which comes from Montalcino's highest site. The choice of the vineyard, situated over 600 metres above sea level, is also due to climate change, where winemakers are increasingly looking for cooler sites for Sangiovese - and the result is again a Brunello of the absolute special class: on the nose, leather, tobacco, small red berries and a surprisingly fresh, clearly mineral note. The wine, although it appears very graceful and bright, is punchy and long. Its grippy tannins and finely knit acidity underline our impression that this wine still has a long life ahead of it. SUPERIORE.DE

"The 2017 Brunello di Montalcino Passo del Lume Spento really takes its time to open up, at first dark and slightly herbal. With swirling pretty notes of wild strawberry, cedary spice and crushed rocks form in the glass. This glides across the palate, supple yet finessed, with a lovely inner sweetness and brilliant acidity that adds gravitas, as mineral-drenched red fruits slowly saturate. The 2018 finishes remarkably fresh, yet with admirable length and potency, as hints of sour cherry and inner sage slowly fade. What a darling. While completely unique and built more on energy than power, the Passo del Lume Spento is undoubtedly one of the standouts of the vintage." Vinous

"The Le Ragnaie 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Passo del Lume Spento is very pretty in this vintage with tart cherry and lifted aromas of cola, garden herb, blue flower and blood orange. This is usually my favorite of the three single-vineyard wines produced by this estate. I applaud the relatively contained 13.5% alcohol content that lets you enjoy more of the wine in one sitting. The tannins melt softly over the palate." Wine Advocate

Since the 2015 vintage, Le Ragnaie has been vinifying another single-vineyard Brunello, which comes from the famous Montosoli vineyard and therefore also bears the black label. With the 2018 vintage, only just under 3,000 bottles come onto the market, and we are pleased that we were able to obtain at least some of them. On the nose, graceful tones of wild cherry, pressed blueberries and small blue violets growing deep in the forest. The aromas are more vertical, with cola and medicinal tones rising straight from the top. Compact and lean on the palate, with a long, medium-light persistence that leaves a precise and sharply drawn trail of fruit flavours. This expression and class can only be found in the wines of the Montosoli vineyard and this finessed wine is a real delight! SUPERIORE.DE

"A fluid, iron- and tobacco-tinged red, with a core of cherry and currant flavors wrapped in a firm, well-integrated structure. Reveals earth and savory Mediterranean scrub accents on the finish. Shows excellent harmony and finesse." Wine Spectator

"One of three single-vineyard wines released by Le Ragnaie, the 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Casanovina Montosoli reveals fresh and saturated fruit flavors of dark cherry, pressed blueberry and mild spice. You feel the soft richness of ripe fruit. You also feel a distinctive mineral signature with chalky crushed stone that adds to the dryness and powdery tannins of this wine. Despite all that, there is a lingering sweet cherry note on the close. It needs a few more years to flesh out." Wine Advocate

"The 2018 Brunello di Montalcino Casanovina Montosoli is a sleeping giant, slowly coming to life with a bouquet of dusty rose and brown spice over a core of dried black cherries. This is like crushed velvet on the palate, yet surprisingly lifted and graceful in feel, as dark red fruits and mineral tones drench the senses in primary concentration, leaving an air of balsam herbs to resonate. A caking of fine tannins is left to linger, nicely contrasted by a sizzle of residual acidity; yet in the end, the impression is one of youthful structure and poise. There’s such inner beauty here, but it will be years before the 2018 comes fully into focus." Vinous